An Arsenal fan who hurled a banana at Spurs star Gareth Bale during a derby clash has been banned from football grounds for three years.

Thomas Flint, 23, threw the fruit onto the pitch towards the Welsh international during the Gunners’ 2-1 loss at White Hart Lane last month.

He behaviour was today branded a “disgrace” by a judge.

The game was marred by chants aimed at striker Emmanuel Adebayor by Arsenal fans, and the banana incident.

Officers investigating disorder during the match saw Flint on CCTV footage three days later hurling the banana onto the pitch.

District Judge Rebecca Crane told carpenter Flint: “You have let yourself down. You allowed your passion for football, a game, to boil over to hostility towards an individual player and the opposing team.

“This was more than foolishness, this was a completely disgraceful set of behaviour.

“What you threw, given it was thrown from some distance, could have hurt someone. The hostility was in danger of boiling over into violence.”

Christopher Wright, defending Flint, told the court that football was his client’s main “interest” in life and has supported Arsenal his entire life.

“He wishes to apologise to the opposing team and he is conscious of the fact that he has let his own team down by his conduct,” said Mr Wright.

“He really has no other particular interest in life other than football.”

Flint, from Enfield, admitted to throwing a missile on to the pitch at White Hart Lane, under the Football Offences Act.